Luuka Jones aims to be the Rio McCoy | Rotorua Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Rotorua

Luuka Jones took her first step towards the London Olympics in Beijing in 2008, but the journey to the 2012 games and beyond has been mapped out since she was 14.

She watched the Athens Games, rising in the early hours to watch Sarah Ulmer smash her world track cycling record and achieve gold.

Next year she aims to have her own record breaking race, paddling herself to a top five position and giving herself a medal opportunity at the 2016 games in Rio.

"The Olympics, in everyone's mind, is the biggest sporting event," she says.

"I remember watching Athens and Sarah Ulmer - that was amazing. When I came back from Beijing I was so inspired, it was quite motivating. I decided to train and plan better than ever before. Everything I do now is aimed at geting to London.

"It's been a dream since I was 14. It was a long term thing. I guess Beijing came as a surprise. It was the turning point. After that I didn't just want to go to the Olympics; I wanted to win but it is a long road. It's not an automatic thing.

"Rio is my main focus in terms of medalling."

There are plenty of sacrifices along the way. She says a new item of clothing is a luxury, and when she's not training she's working to fund her kayaking races.

Airfares are one expense she needn't worry about - she has her flights paid for by Waiariki - but accommodation and food isn't cheap. That's not accounting for the fact she has to buy a new kayak when she gets to Europe - transporting her own would be prohibitive.

It's a lifestyle she has become accustomed to if she wants to achieve a medal.

Everything has changed since Beijing.

Before she was doing her own thing in Tauranga, but not long after the games she was invited to join the Waiariki Academy of Sport and she hasn't looked back. She has her training programmes planned for her by Academy director Jane Borren, access to gym facilities and sponsorship to ensure she can travel to races in Europe.

"I have a proper training programme, I got into testing and I feel like a pro athlete. With this support I am able to be smarter about my training, I get more out of it.

"I've made quite considerable gains when I look back to four years ago."

She says her technique has improved and her weight has trimmed back - increased muscle mass has made her stronger.

While the training and background work has been accomplished it will be a successful paddle in Bratislava, Slovakia this September that will be a deciding factor in whether New Zealand will be at the Olympics.

The world championship event is the first of two opportunities to book a spot at the London games, but only if Luuka finishes in the top 16. The second and final chance will be at the continental champs.

"I hope to qualify at the world championships so I know I'm going [to the Olympics]," she says emphatically.

"It gives me more time to build up. In 2008 I qualified a month out from the games, I didn't get a lot of time to prepare."

Luuka leaves for Europe in June and has three World Cup races lined up in Slovenia, France and Germany. She will spend a month training on the world championships course in Slovakia and between the world champs and finishing the world cup series train on the London Olympic course.

"I get excited every time I get a stamp," she says of the travel.

"Travelling is good in terms of race experience at that international level. This year I'm going to train right through the world cups as the whole year is to prepare for the next. As soon as I come back I'll have a bit of time off to recoup mentally, then it's straight into the build up for the Games.

She needs the overseas experience as her nearest whitewater at Okere Falls is quite different due it being a natural course.

It's a good piece of water to have close to home but in terms of enhancing her technical skills, she says it's not ideal, which is why this week she paddled at the Sydney Olympic venue with the Australian Institute of Sport paddlers.

"My sport is totally venue specific - that's why I'm going to Bratislava so many weeks before the worlds, so I can learn every feature.

"I feel I'm on target. I'm more nervous about this Olympics than the last because I didn't expect to qualify. I only had a month to get used to the idea. Now I expect myself to qualify."

And when she does she will race in the kayak that took her to Beijing.

"I've had a few in between, but I like this one."